Indexing work holder



June 20, 1939..

J. K. NITSCH INDEXING WORK HOLDER Ofiginal Filed 001;. 7, 1930 INVENTOR.

fzmm M ATTORNEY.

Patented June 20, 1939 OFFICE INDEXING WORK HOLDER Joseph K. Nitsch, SyracusmN. Y."

Refiled for abandoned application Serial No. 487,063, Octoberi, 1930. This application April- 20, 1937; Serial No."137,9'20

3 Claims;

My invention relates to indexing work holders, and particularly to a device to be usedin combination with standard split collet chucks for machining tools, punches, and for other purposes.

An object of my invention is to provide a device with means for releasably holding implements and parts to be machined in their true center, and which can be: readily turned" and placed for indexing, machining and grinding without the necessity of taking new measurements with each change of position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will afford more universal use from the present standard split collet chucks whichis simple in construction, extremely eflicient in operation, and very much lighter in weight than indexing devices in present universal use.

Another object is to provide a holding fixture which lends itself to a quick set-up without the use of a dividing head, for machining, grinding or laying out such tools as counterbores, reamers, taps, square shanks, broaches, punches, whether square, or rectangular, and in which the 25 different surfaces-to be machined or ground are readily found and positioned by simply flopping the fixture from one fiat side to another for the purpose of indexing 7 Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the specification andclaims.

I have experienced that the use of a square block with a bore lying exactly in the center of said block so as to be parallel with the outer fiat sides is a very handy device for milling punches for tool and die work, reamers, counterbores, and the like, inasmuch as the shanks of these tools are round and are usually made from round rod steel as it comes from the mill, after being cut to the proper length. In order to'make such a block serve a useful need in a tool room, however, it is necessary to have a whole series of blocks for every different diameter of rod used. And to this difliculty is added the inaccuracy of sizing of drill rod. As is well known in the art, drill rod, cold rolled or tool steel often varies .005 of an inch or more either way in diameter from the size marked. To provide for this variation, then, it is necessary to provide a set-screw or other holding device on such a block to hold the piece of rod rigid in the bore of the block. The use of a set screw, however, has proven objectionable because it mars the work, and, if the variation of the stock is as much as .005 of an inch, the. rod, will, ;not,..lie ,concentrically within .said

bore,.but:.will be eccentric Wh'en tightening the set screw-thus rendering the block useless as an indexing'tool because the operator cannot rely uponthe known distance between the center of the bore and its sides as being the same due to I the eccentric position of the rod in the bore, and in any. event, the shank of the tool when finished will not be concentric with the cutting portion; 7 I

To obviate these difficulties-and to increase the 0 usefulness of such a block, I have devised the combination of such'a block preferably with the ordinary split collet chuck universally known also as the draw-back chuck. As is well known, the split collet chuck is commercially made to a 15 high-degree of accuracy in relation to the concentricityof its bores, tapers, etc., and due to the slots milled in its sides {from whence it derives its .name split colletchuck) it will accommodate. variations in sizes of rod of it? inch or more, dependingcon the diameter of the collet chuck and-the'style and make used, and it will still :retainconcentrioity of the rod held. Inasmuch asm'ost tool rooms are already equipped with one. or more sets of split collet chucks for the lathes, the usefulness of such a block will also increase ,the usefulness of the collet chucks and adapt them to a new and useful result. As is well known, also, the outer diameter of collet chucks sold in sets varies in steps of one-quarter inch or more, whereas the inner diameters are made in much lesser gradations. This fact makes it necessary for a shop equipped with a set of collet chucksto have but one or two blocks to have acomplete run of sizes for ordinary tool and die work, whereas it would otherwise require hundreds of blocks and even then at a sacrifice of accuracy.

In use, the operator, knowing the distance between the center of the bore of the collet and any one of the four sides ofthe block maymill or grind'one face of the piece being worked on, and then turn'the block 90, or 270, depending on the particular face to be milled or ground, without thenecessity of resetting the work in 45 the collet or moving the table of the machine, or taking any vertical measurements, for all sides of the block are equally distant from the center of the collet chuck and parallel.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional central longitudinal view of the indexing block without a split collet chuck within the bore.

Fig.;;2 is area-r elevation of the indexing block, 55

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of an ordinary split collet chuck used in combination with the block shown.

Referring to the drawing the numeral l0. designates a block having a bore ll in its interior with outwardly flared surfaces l2 adjacent its front end, and an annular shoulder 13 extendingbetween the walls of the main bore H and an enlarged portion M of said bore at therear end of the block ID to provide a seat for the draw back nut l5. The draw back nut I5 is swiveled in the seat thus provided for it in the block ill for free but preferably non-removable rotation by means of the retaining pin I6 which passes through the wall of the block H3 and into the groove I! in the draw back nut I5. I have illustrated slots l8 in the face of the draw back nut 15 to receive a spanner wrench, and by this arrangement a smooth or flush surface is obtained on the rear of the device, and the draw back nut 15 may be readily turned by inserting the prongs of the usual spanner wrench in the slots l8, whether the piece of work held in the block protrudes without the block or not.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a standard split collet chuck, with a shank l9, provided with slits 20 along a portion of its length adjacent its tapered nose to provide a resiliency permitting concentric contraction and expansion so that its jaws 2| thus formed can close and open about the piece of work inserted within the chuck; it being noted that the shank E9 of the collet chuck will nicely fit in the main bore ll of the block In, and the jaws 21 are flared outwardly on their outside surface to fit against the outwardly flared wall l2 of the bore H when the parts are assembled and operated to grip a piece of work to be machined (usually the shank of a tool or punch to be formed).

The draw back nut 15 is interiorly screw threaded at 22 to fit over the end of the collet shank 23 which is also threaded so that the collet chuck can be inserted through the flared end E2 of the bore ll of the block Hi until its threaded portion 23 engages with the threads 22 of the nut 5 at which time the spanner wrench is applied to the slots 18 on the nut l5 and the same is turned to draw the collet chuck inwardly of the block until the jaws 2i engage the flared wall I 2 of the block; and if a piece of Work has been inserted within the bore of the collet chuck, the chuck can no longer be drawn inwardly Within the block H by turning nut l5 after the jaws 2i have contracted against the work, thereby holding the work rigidly and concentrically in relation to the outer fiat surfaces of block ll.

To assist in holding the collet chuck rigidly within the bore l 1 against axial rotation there is provided the key 24 which is insertible through an opening 25 in the wall of the block Ill to engage within a keyway 26 on the shank of'the collet chuck. This arrangement allows longitudinal movement of the collet chuck within here I! while resisting axial rotation thereof.

It will be understood that my device can be made in any sizes necessary to accommodate standard or special chucks, and that it is adapted for use not only with clamping devices to engage its fiat faces, but also with electro-magnetic' holding means engaging a single face as well. It will also be noted that collet chucks having flat surfaces for holding disk-shaped work are also available, and that the combination herein de scribed lends itself admirably to laying out work on a surface plate with the use of a surface gage provided with a scribing point.

Particular attention is called to the flat and angular exterior formation of the block Ill, which in the drawing is illustrated as being square. This flat and angular formation is designed to enable and facilitate the machinist to hold the work in its true center and parallel with the table of the machine on which the block 10 is clamped or held; and to permit the work to be turned axially on any fiat surface of the block 10 to machine the work about its periphery under accurate control, and with the same rigidity and accuracy of indexing as is obtainable in using a dividing head on a milling machine. And all this is feasible with the added advantages of being able to unclamp the block and work together and putting it on the magnetic chuck of a grinding machine without disturbing the position and setting of the work in relation to the holding fixture, that is, block H].

In the embodiment shown the arrangement is particularly designed for machining and indexing tools with one, two, or four equal divisions such as flat or square punches, milling the four flutes on taps, end mills, reamers, etc. Other divisions of the circumference of the tool may be obtained by interposing a V block between the block Ill and the table of the machine; and still further divisions may be obtained by turning the work in the collet chuck after completing one revolution of the block Ill and starting over again when the work is re-clamped in the collet chuck.

It will be understood that any number of flat faces may be formed on the exterior of block II]. The more faces, the greater the number of divisions of the work periphery that will be obtainable. The limiting factor to the number of faces is that the flat faces must be suificiently broad to furnish a rigid bearing and clamping surface for the block.

I claim:

1. In an indexing Work holder in combination a split collet chuck provided with a longitudinal groove and a collet draw back nut threaded on said chuck; means for operatively retaining the same comprising a square block concentrically bored throughout its length, said bore tapering outwardly at one end for engagement with the tapered outer portion of said collet chuck and forming a recess at the other end to retain sai draw back nut within said recess against longitudinal movement in the direction of the tapered portion of said block, the outer square surfaces of said block being longitudinally parallel with theaxis of said bore and equi-distantly disposed in relation thereto; and detent means in the wall of said block slideably engaged by the said groove in the split collet chuck to allow longitudinal movement of said collet chuck while resisting rotary movement thereof,

- 2. In an indexing work holder in combination a split collet chuck and collet draw back nut; means for operatively retaining the same including a square block concentrically bored throughout its length, said bore tapering outwardly at one end for engagement with the tapered outer gitudinal exterior; work holding means longitudinally disposed in said bore including a split collet chuck and a draw back nut retained within said bore and threaded on said collet chuck to cooperate with said chuck for releasably gripping work held within said chuck, said nut having slots on its outer edge to be engaged by the teeth of a spanner wrench, the work holding bore of said chuck being parallel with the exterior plane of the sides of said block and equi-distantly dis- 10 posed in relation thereto.

JOSEPH K. NITSCH. 

